BREATHTAKING 1978 Mk II FORD ESCORT 1.6 GHIA JUST 9,000 MILES FROM NEW.

PRESENTING

 

A once in a life time opportunity to acquire what is almost certainly the lowest mileage best original condition 1978 Ford Escort MK II 1. 6 Ghia available anywhere - worldwide.

 

Just 9. 00 miles from new this top of the range example has the added benefit of rare and desirable factory option. automatic transmission.

 

 Period dealer fitted extras from new include Ford rear window blind. rust proof treatment. and Lucas front driving lights.

 

Dry stored for almost 20 years. much of that time covered in protective wax. until recently extensively re-commissioned for use by Ford Specialist.

 

Remarkably rust free retaining all of its originally fitted panels & glass and all of its factory applied paint finish.

 

Absolutely exceptional in every way and presented in show winning condition.

 

EVERYONE. WITHOUT EXCEPTION. WHEN THEY SEE THIS CAR HAS THE SAME REACTION - WOW!

 

 

 

By the mid sixties the designers at Ford had begun work on the replacement for the long running and successful Anglia.

The design for the small family saloon needed to be modern and striking to appeal to a broad range of buyers. It was!

The Escort made its show debut at the Brussels Motor show in January 1968. The designers had excelled in their objectives and the car was an instant success across Europe. but nowhere more so than in the UK.

In June 1974. less than six years after the car's UK introduction. Ford announced the completion of the two millionth Ford Escort. a milestone hitherto unmatched by any Ford model outside the USA. However despite its success the Mk I styling was becoming dated and a new model. the squarer-styled Mk II. was already on the drawing board. It was to be launched in December that year.

Unlike the first Escort (which was developed by Ford of Britain). the second generation was developed jointly between Ford UK and Ford of Germany.

Codenamed "Brenda" during its development the new range featured 2 and 4 door body styles. Starting with the basic 2 door Popular 1100cc through to the highly desired Top of the range 4 door 1. 6 Ghia.

The Ghia gave a sporty performance with its 1600 OHV GT engine featuring a four branch manifold. twin choke weber. high lift cam and larger values. Only available in the 4 door version the Mk II 1. 6 Ghia was undisputedly the car to have.

The Ghia was aimed at the thus far untapped but emerging small car luxury market. and step up to the mark it did indeed.

Standard Ghia features included wide Sports road wheels with chrome embellishers. bumper inserts with overridders. rectangular halogen headlights. side mouldings. black vinyl roof. and tinted glass with black window surrounds. Inside the luxurious trim put many a large executive car to shame with tachometer. colour keyed cut pile carpets that extended to the foot of the doors. crushed velour/Verona fabric seats. seat valances and headrests. armrests real wood veneer dash. centre consul with clock/radio. glove box. leather steering wheel -  the list goes on. The ultimate luxury factory extra for your ultimate luxury small car was Automatic transmission - only available with the 1600 engine.  

Today Mk II escorts have become immensely sought after.

The Mk II 1. 6 Ghia which. as we say. was only made for the UK market with 4 doors are now very much in demand. Consequently if it is the highly desired 1. 6 (as opposed to the 1. 3) Ghia that you want. and many. many people do. - you will only get an original one with 4 doors.

33 years since the last Escort Mk II Ghia's left the production line good examples are now rare.

The far more sought after 1. 6 with the desirable automatic rarer still.

Most of the remaining examples are either visibly very rusty or have been very rusty and that rust is now hidden. for the time being. by restoration.

You would be hard pushed to find an un-restored car. If you can find one though it will almost certainly have. at the very least. have had considerable rectification to its paint work. Of course low mileage would be another plus and there are some around with mileages of fifty or sixty thousand - low but not incredibly low.

We suppose then if you could have a blank canvas to create the 'Holy Grail' of Mk II Escort Ghia's available today you would start with the more sort after 1. 6. Then add factory automatic transmission. You would want a car that will last and not ever start to show signs of rust reappearing. you will want hold its price and indeed rise in value over the coming years - so you are defiantly not going to add 'restored' anywhere to that blank canvas but you will most certainly want to add original panels. paintwork and interior.

Mileage - well as we say fifty or sixty thousand is low for the year but at the time that these cars were current it would have been considered high. So let's say 30. 00 or 20. 00 actually still too high - after all we did say you had a blank canvas. Why not go the whole hog and make the mileage just a four figure sum. so under 10. 00 miles. Oh and just for good measure why not add the very best colour combination of Stratos Silver with a black vinyl roof and the best trim colour -beige!

So then on your blank canvas. you have created the perfect Mk II 1. 6 Escort Ghia. but surely though - over 3 decades since they were last made your expectations are just unrealistic as such a car could not possibly still exist.

. actually it does!

CLN 680T

On the 15th August 1978 the first owner of CLN 680T. A retired Lady. travelled the six or so miles from her home in Ruislip to Ford dealer Godfrey Davis in Alperton West London. The purpose of her visit was to collect her new car. A Mark II Ford Escort 1. 6 Ghia.

The owner had waited until August to take advantage of the new 'T reg' before taking delivery of the car that she hoped would see her through the remainder of her driving days. With that in mind she took the wise precaution of having a rust proof treatment carried out prior to the car being used on the road.

 

The owner did not intend to use her new car a great deal at all. However being retired and living in London she decided that for ease of use it would be well worth the extra cost of factory option. automatic transmission.  With stop start London traffic she most certainly would prefer not to have all that bother with a clutch and gears – thank you very much!

 

In addition to the rust proof treatment she ordered  a few dealer fitted genuine Ford extras. A second rear fog light. mud flaps and Ford rear window blinds. Lucas front driving lamps were fitted. wired to main beam.

Godfrey Davis rear window sticker. number plates and key fobs on both original sets of keys remain.

From the offset CLN 680T was used very infrequently for most of the time it was garaged and cherished by its elderly owner. This is unmistakeably a car that has always been loved. cared for and well maintained.

 

In 1986 when CLN 680T was 8 years old and having covered just a few thousand miles ownership transferred to a Gentleman who lived a couple of streets away from the first owner and was. presumably. known to her.

 

CLN 680T stayed in the care of its second owner. who never actually used it but kept it under cover in the garage attached to his house. In 1991 CLN 680T was MOT'ed possibly for the first time ever. The MOT is in the history file and the mileage is recorded at 6. 80.

 

In 1992 CLN 680T was acquired by its third owner who lived locally to the second. The third owner. who was again elderly. continued to cherish the car in the same way that it had always had been. Again most of its time was spent garaged. The 1992 MOT shows 7. 03 miles. the 1993 8. 01 and the 1994 MOT shows 9. 57 miles.

 

The day after its 1994 MOT CLN 680T was acquired by its final recorded keeper. another lady. It was driven from south London to her home near Ashford Kent where it was put straight into her garage.

 

The new owner used the car over the next few months but only covered a couple of hundred miles before she gave up driving it. CLN 680T was once again confined to a garage where it stayed for over 5 years. In 2000 CLN 680T was taken for an MOT as the owner was hopeful that she would once again drive it. Sadly it was not to be the case and the car was returned to its garage.

 

This time the owner knew that she was not going to ever drive CLN 680T again but rather than part with it she decided that she would keep it in dry storage. She had the whole of the outside of the car covered in clear protective waxoyl in order to preserve it and once again parked it up in her garage. There it stayed for the next twelve years or so.

 

Today CLN 680T has covered a genuine 9. 00 miles from new. It has led a charmed life and the vast majority of it has been spent in storage out of the elements and its mind blowing condition very much reflects this.

 

After such little use it was important that the car was correctly re-commissioned for use. Undertaken by a ford specialist at a cost of over £1. 00.

 

In addition to service items the brakes have been fully overhauled with new front Discs. callipers and pads and rear hydraulic cylinders and shoes.

 

All the engine core plugs have been changed. as one was leaking a new rear oil seal was fitted at the same time.   

 

BODYWORK

 

The bodywork and paintwork is outstanding and it would seem that all of the paint finish is totally original and that applied in the factory 35 years ago.

 

If you have seen our cars in the past you will be aware that we have bought some of the very best original cars to the market. It is rare though that we can say that we cannot find any traces of paint rectification whatsoever on a car that is over a third of a century old. In the days before robot spraying many had faults rectified by the supplying dealer when new. If this was the case here we certainly can't see any obvious signs of it!

 

With CLN 680T  however not only can we say that we can find no traces of past paint rectification we can also say that has not been a need for us to carry any out to the external paintwork now.

 

Even the sills have their semi gloss factory applied finish – they have never seen the nozzle of an aerosol can!

 

CLN 680T is remarkably rust free due no doubt to that additional rust proofing. which was carried out from new and involved sealant being injected into box sections and cavities. It also involved spraying black underseal to the underside of the car. the underside of the bonnet (which also doubled as additional sound deadening) and to some areas of the engine bay. Whereas this has done a fantastic job as intended it looked a little unsightly so we had our body shop overspray the black on the bonnet in silver thus leaving the underseal in place to carry on its good work but looking much more pleasing.

 

We removed the underseal from inner wing tops which caused some light scratching to the paint surface which our bodyshop has made good.

 

Other than a couple of minute stone chips and very light tiny surface scratches which have been carefully touched in with a touch up brush the paintwork is unmarked and retains a fantastic lustre.

 

There are not dings dents or other blemishes.

 

Door. boot and bonnet shuts are excellent.

 

The underside is superb and of course no welding has ever been carried out and none is. or should ever be if correctly kept. required.

 

Chromework is in fantastic original condition.

 

Correct sports wheels that are original and have not been refurbished with bright rim embellishers which are slightly marked in places.

 

Unmarked. and correct for year. black vinyl roof.

 

Even items so often requiring replacement like the window and windscreen rubbers have not deteriorated.

 

There are four brand new Dunlop SP tyres.

 

INTERIOR

 

The Ford Ghia interior was the envy of its competitors - and we can see why!

 

Being garaged for most of its time has meant that the interior has not suffered from effects of day/sun light normally found on cars of this age.

 

CLN 680T's interior is exemplary in every way. totally original and the best we have ever seen. It is a truly lovely place to be.

 

The crushed velour seats have not sagged and have no marks tears. stains or faults. The material has not crumpled. as is so often the case. and remains completely taut. The valances still have their build stickers.

 

The rear seats look as though they may have never even been used.  

 

The carpets are not worn. damaged. stained or faded the pile remains as it should be. The heel mat shows no sign of wear.

 

The headlining and sun visors are unmarked.

 

The wood to the dash is first-rate and there is no fading or cracks to the vinyl.

 

Door cards and rear parcel shelf have never been cut and have no damage.

 

Standard Ford push button Radio.

 

Ford rear window blinds function as they should and are not damaged.

 

CLN 680T has covered just 9. 00 miles from new and is 35 years old. in here though it is easy to believe that you are in a car a few months old.

 

UNDER THE BONNET

 

Exceptionally clean with original stickers and presenting only as such a low mileage example could.

 

As we have said the underside of the bonnet had had black waxoyl applied as part of the rust proofing treatment and whilst doing its job did not look to attractive so we got our bodyshop we to put it in body colour and attend to some scratches caused by removal of the black waxoyl on the inner wing tops and slam panel.

 

No corrosion around strut tops of course and the chassis number clearly visible in its correct place.

 

IN THE BOOT

 

Spare wheel with original tyre.

 

Black waxoyl was applied to the spare wheel well. a notorious rust trap.  from new so it remains. as does the rest of the bodywork. rust free.

 

The one piece floor mat and spare wheel cover and the wheel arch covers are as new. In fact so much so that it looks as though nothing has ever been carried in here at all!

 

The paint below the unmarked carpet is as new. Let us have an email address for pictures.

 

Original build stickers on inside of boot lid.

 

 

ON THE ROAD

 

Starts on the button with manual choke.  

 

New battery.

 

CLN 680T is an absolute pleasure to drive. The automatic Ford box. which also can be used as a clutchless manual. is wonderful. If Ford still made Escort Ghia's today automatic would no doubt be standard for the top of the range model - instead of being an expensive extra as it was back in the seventies.

 

Everything feels tight and it is immediately apparent that this is an exceptionally low mileage well cared for car.

 

It is responsive. quick. comfortable and handles well.

 

Everything checked worked. the automatic gears changed up and down just as they should and we found no faults at all.

 

An absolute joy to drive – delightful!

 

HISTORY FILE

 

1.    Old style V5 logbook the new owner will need to apply for a new style V5c in their name. Just a matter of filling in a form which we will supply.

2.    Copy of the original registration document.

3.    Some old MOT's there will be a new one by auction end

4.    Invoice for re-commissioning

5.    Escort quick reference operating guide

6.    hand book

7.    Old tax disc from 1992. 1994.

8.    original spare keys with supplying dealer fob.  

 

 

SUMMARY

 

CLN 680T is more than just an exceptional 1978 MK II 1. 6 Escort Ghia - it is the "Holy Grail" of such examples. It has unmistakably been cherished. cared for and loved by its elderly owners. It has covered just 9. 00 miles from new.

 

It is just such a straight proper and honest car and most certainly up there with the best of the best of cars that we have previously offered.

It's a bold claim "almost certainly the lowest mileage best original condition 1978 Ford Escort MK II 1. 6 Ghia available anywhere - worldwide" and not one that we make light heartedly. but it is one that we genuinely believe to be correct. CLN 680T is truly immaculate and would take very little to become a concours contender.

 

It will be of interest to collectors. investors and enthusiasts alike. Who will realise that they may never get such an opportunity again.

 

VALUE

 

Condition. exceptionally low miles. future investment potential and originality will add to the value of any classic.

 

CLN 680T is at the very top of the league in all these categories.  

 

Mark II Escorts have soared in value of late and are set to continue to do so. Not everyone wants an RS many. many are huge fans of the 1. 6 Ghia in its standard four door form.

 

We would wager that this car will be worth in excess of £15. 00 in the not too distant future.

 

Today though our reserve for the very best of the best 1978 original MK II Escort 1. 6 Ghia available is unbelievably set at a four. not a five. figure

 

VIEWING

 

We will. of course. be happy for serious buyers to view the car by appointment and with reasonable notice. although we will always do our best to accommodate. prior to auction end. However. please bear in mind the expected final price above.

 

If you are unsure of being able to acquire the relevant funds equal to the expected final price you should question. for both our sakes. whether you should come to view.

 

Please be sure that this is the vehicle that you want before you bid. If you have any doubt come and see it first or at the very least telephone. However. if you require someone else to sanction the purchase. i. e. your wife's permission. please get it before you come to view.

 

If you do want to view or ask for any more information please call David. on 07771 567567 or e-mail via ebay. We really are very approachable and welcome any questions about the vehicle.

 

ORIGINAL V RESTORED - OUR VIEW

 

We endeavour. on the whole. to offer original. genuine. exceptionally low mileage and unrestored cars from the 1970. and 1980. .

 

Almost all cars from this era have had a little paint rectification carried out at some time during their 20-40 years. However there is. of course. a huge difference between rectification of paint work and total vehicle restoration.

 

Paint rectification at the factory post production line or. indeed. by the supplying dealer was common in the 70's and 80's when most cars were sprayed by hand as opposed to today's automated processes. From time to time we will offer a car that has had some paint rectification for these reasons or perhaps to localised areas following parking mishaps etcetera.

 

Occasionally we may offer a car that has had rather more paint rectification although we will always endeavour to make this known in the description. It will be very rare however for us to offer a car that has had a full restoration. and only then if we have satisfied ourselves of the quality of the work.

 

It is becoming extremely difficult to obtain an unrestored 20-40 year old car. By and large they were just not built to last in the 70's and 80's. However. if you do find an original example that's survived the chances are that. if looked after. it should last for many more years. after all it will only have lasted this long because it will have had little use and been extraordinarily well cared for previously. The same. unfortunately. is far less likely to be able to be said for a car that has under gone renovation.

 

We think that you simply cannot beat a straight original example of any item. There is a school of thought that believes that if you take something apart and then put it back together you are just recreating that item in a false attempt to make it as it was in its former glory. and that no matter how well a vehicle has been restored it can only be original once.

 

Whereas we know that many restorations are done to the highest standards we believe that there are far more that are not. Who really knows what skulduggery may lie beneath a car that has possibly covered hundreds of thousands of miles then been restored at least one time or maybe even more than once! In our view if a car has required restoration then by default it must have become worn out. tired and have most probably been neglected.

 

It is interesting to note that of late we have sold some of our finest original quality cars to some of that particular Marques top and best known restorers - not for them to restore but for them to keep! Even they know. in their hearts. that one thing is for sure - a car that has been the subject of restoration. no matter how good will. almost with out exception. lack the spirit and soul of an original example and probably cost 3 times as much to complete and be worth less than half the an original example when done!

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

By Bidding on any item it will be deemed that you have read understood and accept these conditions.

 

ZERO RATED BIDDERS OR BIDDERS WITH A RATING OF LESS THAN 10. please read the conditions that apply to you below.

 

Contacts. location

The vehicle is in South West Oxfordshire. 15 minutes from the A34 at Oxford (M40 from London or Birmingham) or 20 minutes from Swindon East Junction of the M4.

Mobile 07771 567567

E-mail via ebay

Before you enter a bid

Please be sure that this is the vehicle that you want. that you are happy with and understand the description. that you understand the rules of ebay and that you have read these terms and conditions.

 

Description

We have included a full and honest description and photographs which many people will feel happy to buy from. The description endeavours to be as informative as practically possible but is not. obviously. meticulous with regard to every individual part or area of the vehicle and is intended to represent an overview and not a thorough condition assessment report.

 

Please remember that all vehicles deteriorate as soon as they leave the factory. just some to a lesser degree than others. This is not a new vehicle and common sense. giving consideration to its age and mileage. should prevail. Any references to condition should be taken in the context of age of vehicle.

 

If you require any further information regarding specific areas please just ask. BEFORE YOU BID.

 

We are a business selling on ebay it is important to us to maintain our good seller's reputation and ensure that our customers are completely satisfied. Therefore it is positively not in our interest to deliberately miss-describe the vehicle.

 

Finally so confident are we that our description is a fair representation of the vehicle that if. on collection. it is not and there are obvious serious imperfections or serious faults. not previously mentioned. we will not expect you to proceed. However please do not interpret this genuine good practice offer as a way out of not paying. or paying less for a vehicle that you have legally bought for the amount bid at the auction end.

Photographs

All photographs in the listing are taken by us using a digital camera. They are recent and are often taken just hours before the listing is posted. Other shots may be available please just ask and let us have an email address. All photographs are copyrighted and may not be used elsewhere without our express written permission.

Test drive

You will be able to take the vehicle on an accompanied test drive before you pay for it but will only be able to not proceed if you find a major mechanical fault that has not been mentioned in the description.

When you bid

By bidding you are agreeing and legally bound. if your bid is highest and the reserve is reached. to unconditionally buy the vehicle for the price that you have bid.

Negative. zero rated. international bidders or bidders with a score of less than 10 please call or e-mail before you bid with a landline number and address. We accept that just because you don't have a high score does not mean that you are not serious. but we do need to check you are real. that you clearly understand the rules and your intentions are good-you hear of some horrible tales!.

 

Far be it for us to tell you how to go about bidding. However. over the years we have had some bitterly disappointed bidders who placed there best and final bid just to late.

 

We understand why you might leave your bidding until the final few seconds however please at least make sure that you are signed in to your ebay account. one of our customers recently missed a car that he had searched for for years because when he went to bid he had been logged out and had not left himself time to re enter his password!

 

It may be to your advantage to take independent advice on the best way to bid. You are welcome to call 07771 567567 after the auction end should your bid not have been successful.

Reserve and buy it now price

As is the way with auctions. we will not normally divulge the reserve price or issue a buy it now price. if we do from time to time we will state so in the description.

 

In fairness to all bidders we will not end the auction early and let it run its course. except on the very rear occasion of the vehicle being advertised elsewhere.

 

Please. do not ask what the reserve is set at we really are unable to say any more about the reserve than we already have under the value section.

 

 

If you are the winner

The Successful bidder should contact us within 12 hours of auction end. Preferably  by email. via ebay. and by telephone 07771 567567.

 

An invoice will be issued for the full amount via ebay with instructions how to pay the deposit via Paypal.

 

All buyers must pay a £200 Deposit via Paypal or cash within 24 hours of end of auction.

Payment

In all cases the balances. after the £200 deposit above or any additional deposit below. must be paid within 7 days of auction end.

 

The total Balance to be paid by Cash U. K pounds on collection or bank transfer prior to collection. We will transfer the money back should we not proceed for misrepresentation reasons as outlined above.

 

If you are unable to provide the above we will require an additional deposit of 10% of the sale price paid in cash or via Paypal within 48 hours of the auction end. You will then be able to give us a personal cheque or bankers draft provided they are drawn on a U. K bank either of these will need to be cleared and funds drawn against them prior to the vehicle being released. Sorry there can be no exceptions and deposits are not refundable.

Collection

The vehicle must be collected within 7 days of auction end unless otherwise agreed. We will assist you with collection where we can and will email full directions on how to find us.

Please give us as much notice of required collection time and date as possible. If you are delayed its not normally a problem please just let us know. We would ask that you ring us when you are an hour or so away from us.

We reserve the right to charge for storage if the vehicle is not collected within 7 days of auction end.

We do check our vehicles over before sale but please remember that the vehicles we sell often are many years old and some of them have had none or very little recent use. Occasionally things can unexpectedly go wrong. Allow plenty of time for your journey. especially if you are catching a ferry and it may be a good idea to have AA or RAC cover. this is not a reflection on this particular car just good general advice for any older/classic car user.

 

We are happy to pickup the buyer from Oxford or Swindon Station; delivery of the vehicle or collection of the buyer from elsewhere may be possible at extra cost – just ask. We will always try to be flexible and help where we can

 

AIRPORTS. Provided that the reserve price has been met we do offer a collection service from Birmingham. Luton. Heathrow or Bristol Airports. subject to suitable times. We charge a nominal £25. 00 for this. For costs where the reserve has not been met or other locations please enquire.

 

Delivery. we do have a tow vehicle and are able to hire a trailer big enough for most cars. please enquire.

General

Non paying bidders will be reported to ebay and may be referred to an international debt collection agency.

 

The successful bidder should ensure that the vehicle is insured by them at auction end.

 

Bidders from outside the U. K. welcome but please call before bidding.

 

Descriptions. terms conditions and pictures used in this listing are copyrighted and my not be used without the authors express permission.

 

Items bought at auction do not have warranty.

 

You will not be disappointed with this vehicle so please start your bidding now- best of Luck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also published at eBay.co.uk

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